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Response to Dr. Oz Show from Dr. Ari Brown

I am thankful, Dr Oz, for the opportunity to participate in your autism show. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and I hoped the show would help educate the public and move the conversation forward.

As a pediatrician who talks with families everyday in my office, I know parents want to know more about both vaccine safety and about autism. I’m also a mom. Like you, I need accurate information to protect my kids as best as I can.

I am concerned that viewers took away a very inaccurate view of vaccines. The most vocal audience members represent a small minority. Most parents of children with autism agree with the scientific evidence and do not believe that vaccines cause autism.

And, an overwhelming number of healthcare providers worldwide do not believe vaccines and autism are linked. What viewers witnessed on the show was far from the norm.

I base vaccination decisions for my patients and my own children on science, not anecdotes or conspiracy theories. I’m passionate about vaccinations because I watched a child die from chickenpox—a vaccine-preventable illness. I refuse to let another child become a statistic because of hearsay. I’m compassionate towards families whose children have autism, because I have personally walked that road with several patients.

These are the messages that resonate with me, as a parent and a doctor. I hope they will resonate with you.

Multiple studies conducted by academic institutions worldwide—which are not funded by pharmaceutical companies—have shown that vaccines do not play a role in autism. Here are the studies: http://www.aap.org/immunization/families/ingredients.html. Vaccine safety concerns have not been ignored. In fact, they have been addressed appropriately.

Delaying or selectively choosing some vaccinations has absolutely no benefit and only risk. It does not prevent autism, but leaves the youngest children vulnerable to serious infections. The diseases that vaccines protect against can cause disabling health problems or death—and they are often the most severe in younger children. They are not minor illnesses. Here are the diseases preventable by vaccination: http://www.aap.org/immunization/illnesses/illnesses.html

The vaccination schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control has been studied extensively by the most respected group of experts in their field. The time frame provides the safest, most effective way to give certain vaccines together.

While it was not addressed on the show, the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and its association to autism have been debunked. The scare began with a report in a British medical journal in 1998 that was recently retracted. Over the past decade, researchers dutifully tried to duplicate the findings of that report and no one ever could. The question was asked, and it was answered.

It’s true—today’s children get more shots than we did as kids. Modern medicine now provides protection against twice as many deadly, disabling diseases. That’s a good thing! For instance, there is now protection against three different forms of bacterial meningitis. Infectious diseases are everywhere. No one can predict when a child will be exposed. And, even in the era of modern medicine—when someone becomes infected with a vaccine-preventable disease, it is usually too late or there is nothing to treat the infection. Prevention is key.

Parents, healthcare providers, and researchers all seek answers for autism spectrum disorders. We will be most successful by working together with the same goal–to discover the true causes of autism.

My advice to parents is to examine the scientific evidence for themselves. Your child’s health is too important to base decisions on inaccurate information. Seek reliable sources for medical information. Go to the AAP website http://www.aap.org/immunization/families/families.html and talk to your child’s doctor. As pediatricians, many of whom are parents too, we vaccinate our own children to protect them. We wouldn’t do anything differently for your child.

24 Responses

I am old enough to remember Polio. In fact last month a long time friend who got the disease pasted away too young, after spending her life in a wheelchair. When I was six years old, my mother who was pregnant contracted rubella and lost her baby, my brother that I never had. When my daughter was 8 months old she contracted h-influenza B, she spent 10 days in a baby cage with IV anti-biotics (prior to a vaccine being available). For God sake, vaccinate your children.

I believe vaccines played a role in my son’s diagnosis of autism. I disagree with you doctor. Walk a day, a week, or a month in my shoes and then talk to me about how you think vaccines don’t play a role in the cause of autism. The parents who feel that way are not the minority.

this is one of the myths used to promote the vaccine-causation idea. Unfortunately, shoddy journalism has replaced science in the minds of many.

The Amish do, indeed, vaccinate. There is no prohibition. Some communities chose to not vaccinate, but this is not the Amish as a whole.

A study presented at IMFAR last year claimed an estimated prevalence of at least 1 in 271. Not really that far off from the rest of the country and certainly higher than the 1 in 10,000 (or zero) prevalences some people have claimed.

I’m also concerned about the other ingredients in vaccines that have not been tested for safety – like aluminum. It has never been tested for safety in vaccines, but we know that more than 25mc is toxic to a premature baby. When some vaccines are combined in the regular schedule, babies get over 1500mc in one day. This should be studied more.

Thank you for your excellent commentary on the Dr. Oz show. As a polio survivor, I know all too well the benefits of immunization. I am thankful that our children no longer have to suffer from diseases like polio, though it is well to remember that polio is not eradicated worldwide and therefore all children need to be immunized. Dr. Sears’ “selective schedule” does not recommend the polio vaccine – only that it should be “considered” if a trip to Asia or Africa is planned. Dr. Sears must not be aware that polio cases were reported in the European Region in 2010. Polio is a disease that is “only a plane trip away.” Dr. Sears’ description of polio in “The Vaccine Book” clearly shows his lack of understanding of this devastating, complex disease.

I am so glad you responded. I watched the show yesterday and was extremely disappointed that the vaccine discussion went so long and that Dr. Oz wouldn’t take a position like this. He has so much respect and such a great platform that I was really hoping to see him send a clear message that vaccines, given on schedule, are safe unless there is another medical indication.

Dr. Brown, Provide a link to a list of studies which purportedly demonstrate the lack of a link between autism and vaccines. Where can interested parents find these studies available full-text? I know a lot of parents who would like to read the studies for themselves and make up their own minds.
Thanks!

My advice is that you actually read some of the data. Read the package inserts from the vaccines. The data is there. Kids are being harmed by vaccines every single day. I am not sure who is signing your paycheck but I suspect pharma is attached. How dare you say that Jenny McCarthy’s son didn’t have autism! I know of other parents who have recovered their children from autism as well. These are vaccine-damaged kids. That’s not to say all autism is from vaccines, but these parents are tired of being dismissed, that’s why they are so vocal. The more people like you open your mouth and insert foot, the more people who have vaccine injured children are going to demand to be heard.

I had a question for dr. brown. How can you or any doctor stand here and tell me that vaccines do not cause autism when all of you say you have no answers for what causes autism? Try going to google and punch in Amish children autism study and tell me you still believe vaccines do not cause autism. Now 0ne in 110 kids get autism where amish kids who DO NOT GET vaccinated have a 1 in 10,000 rate. I get it the most doctors want to keep the money train going either vaccines or treating sick people. If I was starting a family I like Mccarthy would rather my kids get measles or mumps than to get autism.

“Preliminary data have identified the presence of ASD in the Amish community at a rate of approximately 1 in 271 children using standard ASD screening and diagnostic tools although some modifications may be in order. Further studies are underway to address the cultural norms and customs that may be playing a role in the reporting style of caregivers, as observed by the ADI. Accurate determination of the ASD phenotype in the Amish is a first step in the design of genetic studies of ASD in this population. ”

Dan Olmsted picked up the idea that (a) Amish don’t vaccinate and (b) Amish don’t have autism. He was wrong on both counts. Even though the data are out there clearly showing he is wrong, he has failed to correct his mistakes, leading many to believe that vaccines cause autism.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17133167
“In this survey, the Amish do not universally reject vaccines, adequate vaccination coverage in Amish communities can be achieved, and Amish objections to vaccines might not be for religious reasons.”

Check this site for Homefirsthttp://homefirst.com/info-1/vaccine-choice.html
They provide health care to 35,000 unvaccinated children. I can’t recall any news about their bodies lieing dead in the street. In fact, they are far heathier than their vaccinated peers.

I am very disappointed in the Autism special. I was very excited when I heard Dr. Oz was going to talk about Autism, as a parent of a 12-year old severely autistic child, I thought finally, someone who will allow some sensible discussion to be heard. I was surprised that Dr. Oz discredited the possibity of a link between vaccinations and autism. It is ridiculous to even bother looking at what we call “scientific data” data to disprove the connection. Why can we not look at the “toxins” that are found in vaccinations that are also found in our environment. We are willing to accept that it is something environmental and that we are “surrounded by environmental toxins, more today than ever”, when the same toxins are being injected into our children. Do we really need further scientific research when thousands of parents are telling the medical community that we had “normally developing children” and then something went terribly wrong! (for parents like myself, my son developed normally and suddently no longer knew who I was- I didn’t miss anything! He was not autistic!). Autism should not be the scapegoat of whether or not vaccines are a necessity to our country. The medical community has become so focused on the importance of vaccines and the significance of stopping widespread disease that they are allowing it to cloud their vision of what is right in front of them. It should not be one or the other. It took twenty or more years before smoking and tobacco were linked to lung cancer. Will it be twenty years from now that we finally say, that it was vaccines that caused our children to go away? Dr. Oz, there are plenty of horror stories linked to children who have received vaccines and died, have been left debilitated, or autistic, and they do not all have some metabolic disorder. The stories are out there, if you are willing to do the research.

As a parent of autistic child, a male, I do believe the vaccines had a lot to do with my child developing austism. He was the only one who got twice the amount of vaccines compared to my other boys. Yes, I have four boys and only the last one develop autism. I do believe that the doctors who appeared on the Dr. Oz show, none of them have a child with autism. Only a pediatrician with a child who has this disorder will really try to find out why. No studies done have been done correctly because no one bother to say that the vaccines still contain some amout of mercury in them. So I continue to believe that you are wrong!!!

This article is disturbing on many levels! Fortunately, there are ALOT less children being poisoned with vaccines, then what you claim! More and more people are educating themselves!!
I don’t think the toxins in vaccines or the insanely high numbers of vaccines, is to blame for everything! There is also the shitstorm of chemicals, pesticides and toxic materials in our foods!! The rise in obesity, diabeties, allergies, ADHD AND autism, is in direct correlation to changes in vaccines and the steady decline of quality food! You seen a child die from getting measles…. ? I’m not a doctor or an RN and I know of two children that have died from vaccinations, just in my circle. My friends son suffered from allergic encephalitis of the brain ,18 years ago and will never be out of the wheelchair, because of vaccinations!! I have three other friends whose children were vaccinated and suffered from severe allergic reactions as well!! I am very thankful that these things all happened before I had children!! It caused me to spend years doing research and looking further into this…..
I wonder how many people are aware of the multimillion dollar funds, that are set up in each state, to aid those children who been have been affected by immunizations/vaccines. If you can in good conscience, keep telling people that they should stick this poison in their children, you go right ahead. As for a growing number of us out here, we refuse to play Russian roulette with our children’s lives!!

Response to : Multiple studies conducted by academic institutions worldwide—which are not funded by pharmaceutical companies—have shown that vaccines do not play a role in autism. Here are the studies: